Jalen Lindsey

Big Strick Classic 2013 (New York, NY): Lindsey is a cerebral player with freakish athleticism. He operates smoothly on the wing, is an effective slasher, and finishes above the rim.

He plays with an infectious energy and can shoot out to 20 feet. What’s fascinating about Lindsey is that although he’s right handed, he prefers to go left, making him ambidextrous off the bounce.

At this point, though, Lindsey needs to shore up two aspects of his game: His ball handling skills, and more importantly, his assertiveness.

He’ll need to improve his handle to make him a true 6-7 small forward and perimeter threat. Working with dribbling guru G-d Shamgod at Providence should help in this regard. Also, he needs to become more assertive, and develop a mean streak; the talent is undeniably there, but Lindsey disappears way too often. He can go missing for 10 consecutive possessions, which seems to happen on a regular basis. For what it’s worth, his father has openly questioned Jalen’s desire to play the game.

At his best, Lindsey could be CJ Leslie with range. But he needs to assert himself and be willing to make mistakes, in order to grow. His future is totally up in the air right now—he could be an all-League player at Providence, or he could potentially fizzle out.